In her other well-known series, Peace Maker and Peace Maker Kurogane, Nanae Chrono put her own unique spin on the Shinsengumi group, revered historical figures the Japanese are wont to romanticize. With her on-going series, Vassalord, she steps into another realm of highly romanticized characters, that of vampires. But don’t expect to find sanitized sparkly teen vampires here, there’s blood, violence and eroticism aplenty.
Meet Johnny Rayflo, a preternaturally gorgeous blood sucker with a forked tongue and a penchant for flamboyant behavior. And then meet Charley, a stoic cyborg-vampire hybrid who works for the Vatican as a vampire hunter.
Together they fight crime. (And one another.)
And if that’s not a prime set up for conflicting loyalties, blood lust and mayhem, what is?
In fact, Rayflo and Charley have a complex relationship. The older vampire found Charley when he was very young, taking in the orphaned, unnamed boy and raising him. Presumably Rayflo turned Charley at some point, making the vampire more than just a father figure, but also the younger vampire’s maker. Further, Rayflo is Charley’s only food source, for to drink from a human would take Charley further from God (just how Charley got mixed up with Church isn’t entirely clear just yet). Rayflo may drive Charley to distraction — and quite frequently to violence — but the affection they share is obvious, and they both go through great pains to protect one another.
Though it’s somewhat scattershot, and secondary to the Rayflo-Charley relationship, there is an overarching plot to the series that’s been slowly developing across each volume. Someone is manufacturing a drug called Vassalord, which they’ve been selling to the rich as a promise of immortality. Charley has been tasked by the Vatican to investigate, and Rayflo’s doing his part to help. That is, when he’s not dealing with a demon from his past who delights in hunting the vampire down and, well, having his demonic way with him, both violently and sexually, typically at the same time. Presumably the “Vassalord” plot continues into future volumes, along with more of Rayflo and Charley’s back story.
Chrono’s art isn’t what one would call “pretty.” Sensuous is a better word for it. And how. Whether it’s Rayflo lounging seductively in bed while Charley feeds on him or Charley impaling Rayflo with a sword, her drawing’s imbued with a frisson of eroticism. She doesn’t shy away from extreme violence either, which can make for some startling imagery.
Vassalord has tons of action and humor, and no small amount of sexual tension, which makes it a very entertaining read, despite the slight plot. It definitely qualifies as a guilty pleasure.
Tokyopop (2008-2010)
